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[스포츠뉴스]From spare time hobby to strike star, 'queen of bowling' bags 16th career win

온카뱅크관리자

2026-04-26 16:31:00

<div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/04/26/0000087549_001_20260426163113661.jpg" alt="" />Bowler Choi Hyun-sook competes at the 9th Jeongeup Danpungmiin Cup Pro Bowling Championship held in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi, on April 2. [KOREA PROFESSIONAL BOWLING ASSOCIATION] </div> </div> “I never dreamed that someone who started out in a neighborhood bowling club for housewives would be credited with rewriting Korean professional bowling history.” That was how Choi Hyun-sook, 49, known as the “queen of bowling,” calmly reflected on her record 16 career wins &#8212; the most in Korean professional bowling history. Choi broke her own record for the most wins by a female bowler after winning the women’s singles title at the 9th Jeongeup Danpungmiin Cup Pro Bowling Championship on April 2. She is six wins ahead of Yoon Hee-yeo, who ranks second among women with 10 wins, and three wins ahead of Jung Tae-hwa, the leading men’s player with 13. Women’s professional bowling tournaments are held nine times a season, with around 150 players competing in each event. With the overall level of competition rising across the board, it is nearly impossible for a single player to dominate the sport in the way badminton star An Se-young has done. <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/04/26/0000087549_002_20260426163113750.jpg" alt="" />Choi Hyun-sook poses at the award ceremony after winning at the 9th Jeongeup Danpungmiin Cup Pro Bowling Championship, her 16th individual title. [KOREA PROFESSIONAL BOWLING ASSOCIATION] </div> </div> That is why Choi’s record is considered all the more remarkable: She has won titles for 10 consecutive seasons since 2016, excluding 2020, when the season was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “Bowling is heavily affected by both external and internal variables, including the atmosphere at the venue, lane conditions, ball choice and your condition that day,” Choi said. “I’m proud that, as someone who came from the amateur scene, I’ve been able to produce consistent results in a jungle full of so-called absolute masters.” Most professional bowlers start the sport at a young age and grow through systematic training on the elite track. Choi is a rare case: a club player and a self-taught bowler. She also took up bowling later than most, at the age of 28 in 2005. Originally from Ansan, Gyeonggi, Choi moved to Gwangju after getting married. While looking for a way to ease the loneliness of life in a new city, she considered bowling. She visited a bowling alley near her home to fill the quiet morning hours after her husband left for work and joined a morning bowling club for housewives. <div class="ab_photo photo_center "> <div class="image"> <img src="https://imgnews.pstatic.net/image/640/2026/04/26/0000087549_003_20260426163113909.jpg" alt="" />Bowler Choi Hyun-sook competes at the 9th Jeongeup Danpungmiin Cup Pro Bowling Championship held in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi, on April 2. [KOREA PROFESSIONAL BOWLING ASSOCIATION] </div> </div> Like Cambodian-born carom billiards star Sruong Pheavy, who followed her husband to a neighborhood billiards hall after marrying and moving to Korea before becoming a top billiards player, Choi opened a new chapter of her life at a bowling alley. Within a month of taking up the sport, Choi was averaging 170 points, drawing attention as a late-blooming bowling prodigy. “The local women’s eyes widened when they saw a bowling beginner scoring close to the passing standard for the women’s professional test, which is an average of 190,” Choi said. “I think it helped that I built up strength in my arms and lower body when I did track and field and ball throwing, a kind of beginner’s shot put, in elementary school.” Choi then began sweeping amateur tournaments around the country on weekends, earning the unusual nickname “prize money hunter.” “When I showed up, the tournament venue would start buzzing,” she said with a broad smile. “People were probably whispering, ‘Who is that ajumma [middle-aged woman]?’ I once earned as much as 5 million won [$3,380] a month in prize money.” After conquering the amateur circuit, Choi passed the professional test in 2012 and moved into the professional ranks. But professional training was still out of reach. “I couldn’t put aside my role as a homemaker,” Choi recalled. “After cooking meals and doing the dishes, I would rush to the bookstore and look through bowling books to learn advanced techniques. I only practiced for about two hours in the morning, but I made sure to concentrate fiercely.” The “ajumma sensation” did not slow down after she turned professional. Choi had a dazzling debut season in 2013, sweeping Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player and the No. 1 ranking. With her consistent performance since then, she has established herself as the “GOAT” of Korean bowling. Her only concern is her form. Because she has never received professional lessons, she has often heard that her form looks awkward compared with her skill level. “To be honest, I envy players with beautiful form,” Choi said. “But I became more at ease after learning that many people have recently started imitating me.” Choi, who has set a goal of reaching 20 career wins, said she hopes her challenge will encourage others. “I hope middle-aged women across the country can gain courage and comfort from watching an ordinary housewife like me take on this challenge,” she said with a smile. This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

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